-
)
Serie A
29 Oct 19:30
)
Como
)
HellasVero
3 1 -
Serie A
29 Oct 19:30
)
Juventus
)
Udinese
3 1 -
Serie A
29 Oct 19:30
)
Roma
)
ParmaCalci
2 1 -
)
Ligue 1
29 Oct 20:00
)
LeHavre
)
Brest
1 0 -
Ligue 1
29 Oct 20:00
)
Lorient
)
ParisSaint
1 1 -
Ligue 1
29 Oct 20:00
)
Nice
)
Lille
2 0 -
Ligue 1
29 Oct 20:00
)
Metz
)
Lens
2 0 -
Serie A
29 Oct 21:45
)
Inter
)
Fiorentina
3 0 -
Serie A
29 Oct 21:45
)
Genoa
)
Cremonese
0 2 -
Serie A
29 Oct 21:45
)
Bologna
)
Torino
0 0 -
Ligue 1
29 Oct 22:05
)
Marseille
)
Angers
2 2 -
Ligue 1
29 Oct 22:05
)
Toulouse
)
Rennes
2 2 -
Ligue 1
29 Oct 22:05
)
Strasbourg
)
Auxerre
3 0 -
Ligue 1
29 Oct 22:05
)
ParisFC
)
Lyon
3 3 -
Ligue 1
29 Oct 22:05
)
Nantes
)
Monaco
3 5 -
Serie A
30 Oct 19:30
)
Cagliari
)
Sassuolo
- - -
Serie A
30 Oct 21:45
)
Pisa
)
Lazio
- - -
)
Bundesl
31 Oct 21:30
)
Augsburg
)
BorussiaDo
- - -
)
LaLiga
31 Oct 22:00
)
Getafe
)
Girona
- - -
LaLiga
01 Nov 15:00
)
Villarreal
)
RayoVallec
- -
MLS CUP WILD CARD, FIRST ROUND FIXTURES OFFICIALLY RELEASED
The 2025 MLS Cup playoff schedule is set! Wild Card action kicks off with Chicago Fire vs. Orlando and Portland vs. RSL. See the full first-round matchups, from Shield-winners Philadelphia Union to star-powered LAFC.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
On Sunday afternoon, the league finalised the schedule for the first parts of the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs, which are almost here.
The single-knockout Wild Card matches between the eighth and ninth seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences kick off the five-round postseason. Unlike any other league in the globe, the victors of those games go on to play in the 16-team bracket, which starts with the first round best-of-three series.
The clubs who advance advance to the Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and MLS Cup, which will be held on December 6 at the home of the team with the better record in the 2025 MLS regular season, after the best-of-three series.
According to MLS, its teams, and the main broadcaster, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, this is the schedule for the first round and Wild Card series.
Chicago Fire FC vs. Orlando City SC for the Eastern Conference Wild Card
For the first time since 2017, the eighth-place Chicago Fire are making an MLS Cup playoff comeback. They will play an Orlando City SC team that has only won one of its last seven games in the Wild Card round.
Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake for the Western Conference Wild Card
The Portland Timbers will try to pass Real Salt Lake and set up another matchup with the record-setting expansion team in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs after losing 4-0 to top-seeded San Diego FC on Decision Day.
(1) The Philadelphia Union, after securing the 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield, aim to steer clear of the same misfortune that beset 2024 champions Inter Miami, who were eliminated in the first round by the ninth-seeded Atlanta United.
(2) The Hell is Real derby makes its appearance in the MLS Cup playoffs for the second time in three years, as FC Cincinnati faces the struggling Columbus Crew SC. Will Columbus be able to cope with the challenges posed by Evander, Kévin Denkey, and FC Cincinnati? This series promises to be intense.
(3) Inter Miami CF seeks to win a playoff series for the first time after being ousted in the first round the previous year. Lionel Messi hopes to build on his record-setting season, while his longtime teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are set to retire as soon as Miami’s campaign concludes.
(4) Charlotte FC’s Wilfried Zaha, who netted 10 goals and provided 10 assists in his inaugural MLS season, will miss Game 1 due to a red card received on Decision Day. New York City FC, on the other hand, is aiming for a second MLS Cup title after their victory in 2021.
(1) San Diego FC, known as the most successful expansion team in MLS history, finished atop the Western Conference following a commanding 4–0 victory over the Portland Timbers. With MLS MVP hopeful Anders Dreyer in their ranks, they are expected to dominate in the first round.
(2) Vancouver Whitecaps FC will depend on German star Thomas Müller and Scottish international Ryan Gauld to help them advance beyond the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time.
Meanwhile, FC Dallas will strive to replicate their 2–1 win over Vancouver on Decision Day, despite being without key striker Petar Musa and starting goalkeeper Maarten Paes.
(3) LAFC enters the MLS Cup playoffs as serious contenders, having signed Son Heung-min from Tottenham Hotspur during the summer. The South Korean forward quickly formed a strong partnership with Denis Bouanga, having scored nine goals and provided three assists in just 10 matches. The Black and Gold will aim to outperform an Austin FC squad featuring MLS All-Star goalkeeper Brad Stuver.
(4) Minnesota United FC started the season exceptionally well but saw a decline in performance during the second half after transferring leading striker Tani Oluwaseyi to La Liga’s Villarreal. Nevertheless, they continue to rely on Canadian international and MLS Goalkeeper of the Year contender Dayne St. Clair to guard the net.
Conversely, Seattle has young Mexican talent Obed Vargas and USMNT midfielder Cristian Roldan, both key contributors to their 2025 Leagues Cup victory.
RED BULL STAY CALM, COOL, AND CONFIDENT DESPITE MCLAREN MOMENTUM
Red Bull's Laurent Mekies denies their 2025 car focus is due to 2026 PU concerns, calling it a strategic choice to improve development tools. As Lando Norris retakes the title lead, the F1 championship battle intensifies.
Red Bull Unfazed by McLaren Rise - COURTESY/PHOTO
In Mexico, McLaren CEO Andrea Stella implied that Red Bull's choice to continue working on its 2025 vehicle was a reflection of a lack of clarity surrounding the upcoming Red Bull-Ford power unit.
However, that notion has been rejected by team manager Laurent Mekies and Dr. Helmut Marko.
Mekies stated it has nothing to do with 2026.
"We would have too many unanswered questions going into 2026 if we did not get the most out of this car by the end of the season. We made the decision to spend more money on this vehicle in order to fix its shortcomings and increase its speed.
It greatly increases our confidence in our 2026 tools, strategies, and techniques. Yes, the new project will require less time and effort, but it was a deliberate choice. Performance has nothing to do with it.
According to the Frenchman, the team's strategy is centered on comprehension rather than risk. "We think there will be a net benefit, so we are doing this. We can apply our methods to 2026 and are now verifying them. If it led to difficulties, we would not do it.
Yes, there is a cost, but we think it is worthwhile.
Red Bull's momentum was halted by Mexico as Norris resumed his winning ways, despite Verstappen's recent race surge. Despite replacing an unproductive Oscar Piastri as the championship leader, Verstappen actually cut his overall lead to 36 points.
Norris' resounding win was a welcome change for Stella. Verstappen is still a competitor, but we have the advantage in the next races, he stated.
We have demonstrated that we have a car that can win races and, in some situations, dominate, which has boosted confidence in the championship.
This is the most crucial element that permits Lando and Oscar to compete for the Drivers' Championship, the Italian engineer continued. It has to do with competitiveness, not mathematics. Although the previous races in Austin, Baku, Singapore, and Monza were challenging, we have now once again proven our strength.
In Mexico, Piastri's decline worsened, but Stella stayed positive. Oscar claimed that despite losing some points to Verstappen, he gained a lot of knowledge this past weekend. To make sure you are competitive in every situation during the last stretch, you make that kind of investment. We are stronger and more hopeful when we leave Mexico.
Marko of Red Bull concurred that the battle is still open. "It is no longer assured that one team dominates at a circuit, and there are still 116 points available," he remarked.
We still have a shot. Since Max is the center of attention, I hope the two McLarens stick to their fair play policy.
Verstappen's pace in Mexico, according to Marko, was more powerful than it seemed. In race trim, we knew we would perform better. Max compared himself to a hunting hound, saying that once he scents anything, all else vanishes and he attacks.
But at McLaren, the focus is already shifting from gearboxes to mentalities. Now at the top of the rankings, Norris is under increased scrutiny after the Mexican fans jeered him.
"The question now is whether Norris can take use of his second chance as title leader - or if things will turn unstable again," former Formula One driver Timo Glock told Sky Deutschland. Has he comprehended why the pressure was too severe for him earlier, why he couldn't drive freely back then?
The odds are on his side if he has and has figured out how to deal with it, Glock continued. It is easier said than done, though. It is a completely different picture once the helmet is on and the pressure increases.
JANNIK SINNER BREAKS SILENCE ON POSSIBLE DAVIS CUP REVERSAL
Jannik Sinner is standing firm on his decision to skip the 2025 Davis Cup, showing frustration at repeated questions. The Italian star prioritises his off-season and 2026 Australian Open preparation over defending the title.
Jannik Sinner Addresses Buzz Around His Davis Cup Future - PHOTO: EPA
When Jannik Sinner's decision to skip the 2025 Davis Cup Finals next month was brought up again, he appeared a little miffed.
Top players commit to competing in the finals because of its scheduling, which runs from November 18 to November 23. They would only have a little more than a month off until 2026 starts if they played until late November.
During Team Italy's championship runs in 2023 and 2024, Sinner was their lucky charm. The nation's remarkable recent supremacy in the sport was established by the women's victories in the Billie Jean King Cup in 2024 and 2025.
Even if the 2025 finals will be placed in Bologna, Italy's chances of winning the Davis Cup for a third time in a row appear to be slim after Sinner declared he would not participate.
The four-time Grand Slam champion said he had previously won two Davis Cups with his Italian colleagues and that he planned to use the additional week to get ready for the Australian Open in 2026.
Nicola Pietrangeli, a fellow Italian legend and two-time French Open champion, was not pleased with Sinner's choice or his justification for it. He believes that modern players are more concerned with money than with patriotism and that it was disrespectful to their nation.
Sinner stated that while people have the right to their opinions, he did not wish to contribute anything further in reaction to the criticism. It is possible that the ATP world No. 2 assumed the topic would be abandoned at that point.
Rather, a reporter at the 2025 Paris Masters questioned Sinner about the possibility of changing his mind. It is still mathematically conceivable to finish as the year-end No. 1 because Sinner had stated that it would be impossible before Alcaraz's surprise defeat by Cameron Norrie in Paris.
Compared to his response to Pietrangeli's and others' criticism, Sinner's response was even more succinct and direct. The 24-year-old reiterated that he had nothing else to say and indicated the choice had been made.
"No, the choice has been made. However, I covered everything a few days ago.
Sinner's frustration with the inquiries surrounding his Davis Cup selection was evident. Even though it makes some sense, missing a home team event is an unavoidable consequence of being a top player.
Recently, Sinner criticised the four Grand Slams.
Sinner was irritated with the four Grand Slams in a different interview for not doing more to address concerns about prize money and other advantages, including healthcare and pensions, that were brought up by elite players earlier this year.
The Wimbledon champion this year expressed frustration that the major events wanted to address some other concerns before fully interacting with players and said that initially, encouraging conversations had not resulted in any follow-up steps.
Twenty elite athletes, 10 from the ATP and 10 from the WTA, wrote to the Grand Slams earlier this season to request a larger share of the money made to be distributed as prize money and other benefits.
It will be interesting to watch if the Grand Slams address those issues and make adjustments in 2026.
Read More News